Botanical name

Disa uniflora

Family

Orchidaceae

Common Name

Red Disa, Rooi Disa, Pride of Table Mountain, Watervalblom

Description

Plants flexuose to erect up to 60cm tall, spreading by stolons. Leaves are narrowly lance-shaped, cauline, with longest near the base. Inflorescence usually with one to few carmine red to orange flowers (occasionally pink or yellow), the dorsal sepal paler and streaked with red. Spur is wedge-shaped and the lip is short and narrow. Pollinated by the Table Mountain Beauty butterfly, which is strongly attracted to red flowers. Seeds of Disa uniflora are much larger than those of the other Cape orchids and are dispersed by running water.

Habitat

Along perennial streams - in the spray of waterfalls and in wet seepages over cliffs - in shade or sunlight